1. Field of the Invention
The invention relates to a telescoping umbrella, in particular a parasol or rain umbrella, having a receiving tube and a telescoping tube situated therein so it is displaceable and lockable, having a canopy linked to the telescope tube, the canopy being adjustable using a cable pull or Bowden cable running inside the tubes, and having an actuating unit for the cable pull or Bowden cable.
2. Description of Related Arts
Umbrellas of the type under discussion have been known for many years from the leisure and garden field. Through their telescoping implementation, the canopy linked on the telescope tube may be brought into various positions in these umbrellas and locked there, whereby, on the one hand, upon usage of the umbrella, adaptability to different sun positions, wind directions, or the like is achieved. On the other hand, the umbrella may be collapsed easily to a small size when not in use, so that it may be stowed more easily.
Telescoping umbrellas are typically implemented as so-called hanging or suspended umbrellas, in which a canopy linked hanging on the upper end of the telescope tube, i.e., the end of the telescope tube facing away from the receiving tube, is spaced apart in the radial direction from the foot used to anchor the umbrella. The tubes supporting the canopy, i.e., the telescope tube and the receiving tube, typically have a curvature in the form of a circular arc for this purpose. The radial spacing of the canopy from the foot which is thus provided achieves the advantage that the area covered by the canopy may be exploited better.
Implementing a telescoping umbrella of the type under discussion in such a way that its canopy may be opened and closed using a cable pull or Bowden cable running inside the tubes is known from DE 10 2005 047 323 A1. The cable pull working together with the canopy runs from the upper end of the telescope tube—i.e., from the linkage point of the canopy on the telescope tube—through the telescope tube down to its lower end for this purpose and exits from the receiving tube there through an L-shaped connector part, on which a deflection unit is implemented. For this purpose, an oblong recess extending over the displacement path is implemented in the receiving tube. A cable winch, which is connected to the L-shaped connector part and is situated outside the receiving tube, and on which a hand crank is fastened, is used as the actuating unit for the cable pull.
It is to be viewed as disadvantageous in the known umbrella that to retract or extend the telescope tube, the housing of the cable winch must be grasped, which is in turn situated directly on the oblong recess implemented on the receiving tube. The danger thus exists that the user will pinch his fingers when actuating the hand crank and/or when retracting or extending the telescope tube. The actuating unit, including the hand crank, protruding to the exterior of the receiving tube also represents a hazard point, because people running around it could easily have their clothing hooked thereon. In addition, the construction shown has proven to have the disadvantage that the actuating unit is strongly subjected to environmental influences such as rainwater, dirtying by dust, and the like, which negatively impairs its functional capability and service life. Finally, the outwardly protruding actuating unit worsens the visual overall impression of the umbrella.
The present invention is therefore based on the object of designing and refining a telescoping umbrella of the type cited at the beginning in such a way that it can be operated reliably and easily, is made visually attractive, and its actuating unit for the cable pull or Bowden cable has a long service life.